Steph Curry is partially to blame for Jonathan Kuminga’s struggles with the Golden State Warriors, says an NBA Insider.
Kuminga wants to leave the Warriors, who he says stunted his growth. He turned down a two-year $45 million contract in the hopes that he could leave in 2026 for the Sacramento Kings or Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors have explored a potential trade for Kuminga, but are unwilling to move on from Moses Moody and Buddy Hield. Trade talks have therefore halted.
Kuminga, who showed promise with the Warriors, struggled to get on the floor at the end of last season. An NBA Insider said that is partly the fault of Curry.
Steph Curry is ‘difficult to play with’ says NBA Insider
Kuminga looked to be one of the rising stars of the NBA just two seasons ago. He rode the bench for the Warriors down the stretch of last season, and could only get on the court once Curry was injured in the playoffs.
Curry is one of the NBA’s all-time greats. He is the greatest shooter of all time, and his relentless running and ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court make him exhausting to play against.
But NBA Insider Grant Liffmann said that Curry is also challenging to play alongside. Speaking on The Kevin O’Connor Show, he explained, “Steph Curry is an absolute legend, one of the greatest players of all-time, an A+ human, he’s just great.
“Simultaneously, it is difficult to play with him sometimes. Not because he’s difficult. His movement is so unique out there, and understanding what to do with him is so unique. And a Steve Kerr system, which is very free-flowing with movement and passing.”
“It’s different than what you’ve played your entire life, and you get to that court. Because you’re the guy, and you probably got fed the ball in the post, and you’re working on your Kobe Bryant moves.
“It can be difficult to adapt to Steph Curry if you don’t adapt on the fly. For these young players, that’s why you see so many not work out with the Warriors, and they have to go for veterans.”
Kuminga averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in the G-League before being drafted number seven by the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft. He was a high-end talent who couldn’t make it work alongside Curry.
His struggles made Kevin Durant’s success in Golden State even more impressive, according to Liffmann.
Kevin Durant’s success alongside Steph Curry was ‘incredible,’ says Grant Liffmann
Durant became the most criticised athlete on the planet when he joined the Warriors from the Oklahoma City Thunder. He just blew a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals against the 73-9 Warriors, and joined them after they lost in the Finals.
He played alongside Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson in perhaps the most talented cast of players in NBA history. They won two NBA Championships, and it could have been more.
But Liffmann said that it was impressive that Durant, who won two Finals MVPs with the Warriors, was able to make it work there.
He said, “It’s pretty incredible that Kevin Durant with the Warriors worked so well. He adapted so well to the way the Warriors played, which is very hard for a guy who played a certain way his whole life.
“I don’t think Kevin Durant gets enough credit for that as well, because everyone hears how it all ended. Kevin Durant adapted as much as he could, and it was pretty amazing that he could do that despite how he played his entire life, where he was a Hall-of-Famer.”
Durant had complaints about the Warriors’ system. He wanted to run more isolation plays. Head Coach Steve Kerr has faced criticism for not opting to run what would have been the most deadly action in NBA history, the Curry-Durant pick-and-roll, more often.
But he played within the system and won two NBA championships, highlighting not only his adaptability as a player, but his quality as a team player.